After the funernal, Edward didn't really give himself time mourn over his recent losses. Will his brother change his mind and help him grieve? Post movie oneshot! SPOILERS FROM THE ENDING OF THE MOVIE!

The
funeral held that day ended an hour ago, and the sun was lowering
it's bright orb slowly behind the hills of the Munich countryside.
They had chosen a grass-covered, flower-filled area to bury the man
who'd been murdered in cold blood at the expense of helping him. He
had been Edward Elric's only friend; his best friend for the two
years he lived in this strange world without his brother. His name
was Alfons Heiderich, and he was almost identical to what Edward's
younger brother looked like, except for his light golden hair and
soft blue eyes. Alphonse had bronze hair and silvery-brown eyes.
Those were the only differences between the two really.

It
wasn't long before the two instantly became close and studied
rocketry together. Those were the days of what seemed like youthful
enthusiasm and optimism. Edward had been 16 years old then and Alfons
15. The blond was living in Munich in a small apartment with his
father, Hohenhiem, and while he longed for home every single day he
couldn't help but feel a tiny bit grateful for what he had in his
current life. That was until the day his father had just mysteriously
disappeared and was nowhere to be found. Knowing that his dear friend
was alone, Alfons had then offered to move Edward in with him.
Considering the young Elric couldn't cover the finances on his own in
the apartment himself and his father had shared, the former alchemist
had gratefully accepted. It was true that more than anything, the
blond didn't want to be alone in this strange world. He knew no one
really, except his father and now Alfons.

Alfons...he'd
been brutally shot down the moment he released the rocket that
encased Edward, sending the scientist soaring to the other side of
the gate and back home again. Edward didn't know it had happened, not
until he'd gotten back. At that time, the older Elric had truly felt
like Alfons had done something meaningful for him, but at the same
time he feared what would be happening all the same. He knew Alfons
was dying and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Though Edward
had to hand it to him, if it wouldn't have been for Alfons, he never
would have been reunited with his younger brother, alive and in the
flesh.

Now,
that all seemed like such a distant memory as the funeral grounds
became devoid of the mourners sobs, gentle whispering of their voices
and the music that had played, to which Noah had danced her heart out
to, offering her own traditional Roma
custom of saying goodbye. The music and the dance had given off and
put forth the strong feeling of sadness and poignancy to which the
mourners all had been deeply moved by.

Now
it was all over. People had left the outdoor service, paying
respects, sending off final farewells and leaving flowers
respectfully before the rocket engineer's gravestone. Now, they were
the only three standing there now, watching the clouds hue slowly
changing to elegant mixtures of pinks and oranges. He hadn't cried
like Gracia and Noah had after the gypsy's farewell dance. He didn't
shed a single tear for his friend, Alfons Heiderich's, death.
Something inside of him just felt broken and empty, but he could not
bring himself to cry for the youth. It wasn't out of disrespect at
all. If he could cry, he would have, but he couldn't. His younger
brother, who was slightly confused by it all, had shed a few tears
for Alfons, but more due to the fact that he'd constantly dreamed
about him and his brother together, and also because Alphonse was a
tender-hearted boy. Yet with Edward, it nearly was almost like the
time he'd killed Sloth, the homunculus that had taken on the form of
his own mother. Maybe he was just in denial about Alfons's death.

It
seemed like it couldn't be true. Edward didn't want to believe that
he'd go back to the apartment, go to bed and wake up the next morning
to discover no Alfons there to excessively discuss his new
discoveries in rocket development with him. It didn't matter if
Alfons was his brother or not, he was still his close friend. Edward
cared equally for the young man as much as Alfons had for him. He'd
been Edward's very first friend in this world and his best friend.
The scientist, diligent as he was, had basically treated Alfons
poorly while living in the dream of being back home and aching to
leave this world and it's people behind.

He'd been blind to the fact of how his actions had affected the young
rocket engineer, unaware that just hearing Edward talk about leaving
made him hurt a little inside. The golden-eyed man never stopped for
a moment to believe that Alfons was a real person like him and just
like the people in his world. The whole place had seemed like a dream
to Edward and that one day he'd awaken to find himself back in
Risembool. It never happened, but Alfons had understood how severely
Edward suffered from the nostalgia and hence, sent him back home. The
last time he'd seen Alfons alive and heard him speak was a memory
that would more than likely haunt Edward for the rest of his days. He
could remember the words so clearly that they stung the back of his
mind like a swarm of a thousand blood-thirsty hornets.

"Really,
you're the lucky one, Ed," came his voice sound almost echoing
and far away.

Edward's
head felt slightly heavy as his golden orbs fluttered slowly open.
With a low groan escaping his lips, he tried to gather his bearings
and figure out if he were alive or dead. He'd been shot by Dietlinde
Eckhart after all. The blond gasped as he came to realize he'd been
strapped tightly into one of the rockets inside of the Villa.
Shifting his head back and forth he was trying to work out how he'd
ended up here in the first place. Edward was about to open his mouth
when he heard footsteps coming towards him on the metal platform.

"Shh!"
Alfons shooshed him swiftly, holding a finger up to his mouth, blue
eyes darting back and forth.

"What
is this?" Edward stated in barely above a whisper, gazing up at
the blue-eyed boy.

"I've
set everything up so you can go back home," Alfons replied
quietly. "You can take this second rocket while Eckhart isn't
looking. You ready?"

Edward
just stared at him incredulously. He didn't say he wanted to go back.
It wasn't a good idea at all, not after the uneasy and complicated
feelings that had been left between the two the night he left the
apartment to go and sleep at the factory. The engineer had told
Edward that his work was in it's final stages, and he left after a
brutal coughing attack that sent blood spewing into his hand. He'd
put the golden-haired man in a state of shock and remorse as he came
to realize how he'd been towards Alfons. He made to chase after him,
but felt Noah's hand close around his arm to stop him.

"Wasn't...didn't
I...I could have sworn Eckhart shot me," Edward breathed,
reaching up to his chest and feeling it, but there were no bullet
holes.

Alfons
leaned over a bit, resting folded arms against the side of the
aircraft. "Right in the fake arm. Good thing she's a bad shot,"
he added with a hint of amusement in his tone.

Edward
looked down at his right arm at where the cloth had been penetrated
from the bullet and tugged it down, slightly ripping it to reveal the
bullet lodged in his counterfeit limb.

Alfons
inclinded his head, stealing a glance at Edward's arm and keeping his
usual smile planted onto his handsome face. "Our rockets peak at
two kilometers a second. Should be enough speed to punch through the
pressure, and get out safe," he told his friend, gazing upward
to where the portal was located. "That's Haushofer's theory
anyway. This one-seater shouldn't have any problems," he added,
confidence imminent in his voice.

"Wait
a minute I never said I wanted to go!" Edward began to protest,
but Alfons just grinned.

"I'm
not giving you a choice, Ed," The rocket engineer told the Elric
with a slight chuckle.

"Because
I'm in the way? You're trying to get rid of me?" Edward
questioned, furrowing his eyebrows and hoping against hope that this
wasn't true. Had he upset his friend so much the previous night that
he'd go to great lengths to get rid of him?

Alfons
closed his light-blue eyes and shook his head slowly. He opened them
back up and gazed seriously at his friend. "We're real, Edward.
We're not just part of your dreams like you think."

Edward
gasped, feeling a small lump rising in the back of his throat. He
really had treated Alfons so badly in his eyes and now, all he was
left with was regret.

"I
care, and I make mistakes," Alfons continued in a slightly,
wavering tone. Edward stared back at his friend, golden orbs
beginning to tingle, glimmering as Alfons's azure ones closed
painfully. His eyebrows were furrowed inward. "I may not live
much longer, but I'll still be here," Alfons told him, placing a
hand over Edward's gloved, flesh one. "Just don't forget me."

I'll
never forget you, Alfons. Edward
had somehow known that his death would be inevitable. He was jolted
in a horror-stricken state as the sight of the boy's blood-soaked
chest and the blood covering Noah from clutching the cold form of the
rocket engineer filled his vision the moment he'd stepped off of the
aircraft. This wasn't the death that the older Elric had expected in
the least. He was sure that Alfons was eventually going to die from
the deadly coughing disease he had succumbed to. He'd wanted so badly
to come back and apologize to his friend for everything that had
happened. That ache weighed heavily on his heart as the sun began
it's descent behind the hilltops, and the wind whispered through the
surrounding trees, rustling the branches and green leaves. It blew
back his long, blonde ponytail as he gazed upward at the swaying,
wooden appendages.

"Brother,
we should probably head back. It's starting to get cold," the
younger Elric told him, placing a hand on his older brother's
shoulder and squeezing it gently. Edward opened gold, dull eyes to
gaze back at Alphonse.

"Yeah,
you guys can go on back if you want to. I just want to stay out here
for awhile," Edward's voice croaked. He'd barely spoke during
the funeral and so his voice sounded cracked and worn from no use of
speech. His throat was dry from lack of water, but he didn't care. He
just wanted to know how to fill the empty void that had entered his
heart so undesirably and unwelcomingly.

"You'll
get sick if you stay out here too long, Edward and it's an hour walk
back home," Noah told the blond, stepping cautiously towards
him, not sure how Edward was going to react. After Alfons's death,
he'd treated the gypsy rather coldly. "Why don't you come back
to the apartment with us and I'll make us something warm to drink?"
the dark-haired woman offered kindly. Her long, white skirt and
brunette tresses blew back as a heavy streak of wind rushed past
them. Edward closed his golden irises, holding his face to the sky
and breathing in. He wasn't sure, maybe he was deluded from not
wanting to face the pure and simple truth, but the scientist was
almost certain he could feel Alfons's spirit mixed in the air that
surrounded them.

"Yeah,
I suppose you're right," he agreed before heading to the truck
that Hughes had lent them so they could go back home when they were
done at the gravesite.

Edward reluctantly climbed into the driver's seat while Noah and
Alphonse climbed into the back of the truck. He started up the
engine, feeling it rumble underneath his seat and accelerated. There
was an overwhelming sensation that rushed through his body as he
turned the wheel to leave the funeral grounds. Edward was abruptly
inundated with a wave of not wanting to leave the gravesite. He felt
like if he'd left, then it would really be true and final. The blond
didn't want to say goodbye. Yet at the same time, he felt like he
hadn't even been able
to say a proper goodbye to his friend. Edward figured he'd just drive
them back to the apartment and then drive back out here after
everyone had gone to sleep. That would give him some time alone with
his friend and to his own sentiments. Edward lost himself in thought
as he drove the truck down the desolate road, the towns streetlights
slowly coming into view and not hearing the conversation between
Alphonse and Noah in the back of the vehicle.

"Do
you think Edward will be okay?" the brunette questioned the
younger Elric as silently as a possible. The last thing she wanted
was for Edward to overhear her. "He barely spoke two words today
at Alfons's funeral and has hardly talked at all since he was
killed."

"Yeah,
Brother will be alright. This is just his way of dealing with
things," the bronze-haired boy tried to explain. "I'm sure
you know of all the hardships we both encountered in our lives, don't
you Noah? I mean, Brother told me of your ability to see into a
person's heart. So you know how much loss we've encountered, right?"

Noah
was a little taken aback by the young Elric's words, but she just
placed a small smile on her dark-painted lips. "Yes, I did see
some things, but I never delved so deep into his heart to discover
his hidden secrets. That would've been cruel of me. I saw one thing
that was very precious to him and I vowed never to allow myself to
see that deep into his soul again. I didn't want to upset him. I only
knew of your mother dying and your soul being attached to that suit
of armor," the gypsy woman replied. "I didn't realize you
brothers had lost so much, but still. Alfons was Edward's best
friend. They were very close. Shouldn't he be grieving like anybody
else would? I didn't even see him cry once at the funeral today. Come
to think of it, Ed hasn't really mourned at all from the time he saw
him dead."

Alphonse
just shook his bronze head. "I think that Ed needs time for it
to sink in. Right now, he's in a state of denial. He doesn't want to
believe that his friend was killed. We went through this before with
friends we've lost. Don't worry, it'll hit him soon, and when it does
all we can do is be there for him if he'll allow us to."

"Hmmm,"
Noah hummed in a lucid voice. She hugged herself slightly, rubbing
the white sleeves on her dress and peered over the back of the truck,
catching a glimpse of the top of Edward's raised, golden bangs and
long ponytail that streaked out behind him in waves.

Shortly
after the conversation between herself and Alphonse, the trio had
arrived back at the apartment. Edward shut the engine off of the
truck and stepped out wordlessly, advancing towards the building
without even bothering to look back at his brother or Noah. Another
thought had been continuously tugging at his fragile mind; Hohenhiem.
He hadn't even told the younger Elric about their father's death yet
and that was something else that burdened his already-heavy heart.
Even in this world, death was not something you could so easily
overcome. In fact, tragedy seemed to be more imminent here than back
at home. He would have to tell his younger brother sooner or later.
Maybe he'd do it tonight after he got home. Knowing Alphonse, he'd
definitely be awake. It was only his second night in this new world
after all.

Edward
climbed the familiar flight of stairs before reaching their door and
inserting the key to open it. Alphonse and Noah followed silently, at
a loss for words as what to say to the blond scientist as he entered
the apartment, back still to them. He went straight down the hall,
heading for his bedroom and closed the door behind him. Edward tossed
the keys on his desk and collapsed onto his bed, curling up into a
fetal position. He buried his face into a pillow, drawing it up close
around his head and clinging to it like a frightened child would
their mother as though seeking some sort of comfort from it. Why did
all of this even have to happen in the first place? What had Alfons
really done to deserve to be killed? And himself, Edward hadn't done
anything to rectify the situation, instead his actions had caused his
best friend to be murdered.

I'm
sorry, Alfons. I never even had the chance to apologize to you and
explain why I acted the way I did. Did you leave this world with
unsettled cynicism towards me? Do you hate me for being the way I was
towards you, Alfons? Why couldn't I have just understood that he was
as real as myself and Al?
Edward slammed his automail fist down into the pillow. The young man
began to tremble and felt a whimper try to escape his lips, but he
held it back. He couldn't let himself to succumb to the emotions
welling in his chest. He had to be strong for both Noah and Al. The
last thing he wanted his little brother to see was him completely
falling apart and losing composure.

Noah
had been close to Alfons as well and he'd seen the gypsy woman and
Gracia hugging each other tightly at the funeral, weeping and
mourning over the loss of their friend. The entire crew that Alfons
had worked so hard with on rocket development had been there as well
and had wept over their youngest member's departure from the world.
He was the one who needed to stay strong for all of them, just as he
had at the funeral. He had hoped that he didn't seem too cold towards
the mourners.

Edward
rolled over onto his back, placing the crook of his automail over his
eyes which were stinging with threatening tears. Two deaths in one
day. The death of his father and his best friend. It was almost too
much to bear. He hadn't even really taken the time to mourn for the
loss of either of them, but what good would that do anyway? They were
gone now weren't they so why waste time pining over someone that was
gone now and couldn't come back, even if he wanted them to? He
swallowed back the lump that had built in his throat and forced
unshed tears back behind his eyelids once more. Edward was
interrupted in his thoughts by a quiet knock at the door.

"Hey,
Brother?" came Alphonse's feeble voice from the other side of
it. "Can I come in, please?"

"Sure,
it's open Al," Edward called back, peering from underneath his
metal wrist. The door opened slowly and in walked his brother with
hunched shoulders and head slightly lowered as if afraid that his
older brother might lash out out at him. "I was just wondering
if you'd like some hot cocoa. Noah made us some and-," he began
nervously.

"Al,
is something wrong?" Edward inquired, sitting up in bed, tilting
his head curiously at his younger brother. "You don't have to be
so neurotic around me you know," he added with a small smile.
"I'm still the same old Ed."

A
slightly relieved expression crossed Alphonse's face and his once
tense shoulders relaxed. He crossed the room, advancing towards the
bed as Edward scooted a bit, allowing his younger brother to sit down
at the foot of it. "Well...in all honesty, I wanted to talk to
you about something," the boy stated, his voice still sounding a
little shaken-up.

"What
is it, Al?" the older Elric questioned, leaning up on his elbows
to gaze at his little brother. "Are you okay?"

Alphonse
shook his light-brown head and looked at his older brother. "I
just heard something from Noah, but you can't get mad at her Ed. She
honestly didn't know," he began seriously. "Noah told me
that...that Dad was killed."

Edward's
golden orbs widened significantly, and the breath being completely
sucked from his lungs. "She...so, she told you huh?" he
sighed, resigning himself once more to fall back into the pillows and
he placed his automail over his face again to hide the guilt in his
eyes. "I'm sure she wouldn't have said anything if she did
know I hadn't told you, so I can't be angry with her. It's just...I
certainly hadn't planned on you finding out like this," the
blond mumbled hesitantly.

"Why
didn't you tell me, Brother? Why didn't you tell me that Dad offered
his life to get you back home?" Alphonse inquired softly,
staring down at his knees.

"Because...because
you'd already gone through too much, Al. I didn't want this to be
something else extra added on your shoulders. You've had enough to
deal with already and I couldn't bear to see you hurting," the
older Elric admitted. "It was hard enough on you without you
having to know the truth."

"Brother,
I appreciate the fact that you were just trying to protect me, but we
can't let something like this go as if it were nothing. You should
have told me no matter what my feelings might be," Al replied
quietly, trying hard to get his older brother to look at him, but
Edward's amber eyes were hidden underneath his automail. "It's
okay though, Ed. I'm not mad," he reassured his older brother. A
small stretch of silence plagued the room momentarily before Al spoke
up again. "I think Dad deserves a funeral just like Alfons had,"
the younger Elric told him. "Maybe we should arrange one for him
too?"

"There's
no body to bury, Al," Edward told him blankly. "When Dad
sacrificed himself for me so that I could go back home, he transmuted
himself and Envy so the portal would open. Envy bit into Dad. If
there was anything left of him, it'd just be his blood spattered on
the floor of that place and I do not
want to go back there."

"Well,
we don't need a body then, but still...Dad deserves a funeral! As his
sons it's the least we can do isn't it?! We don't have to have a big
poignant ceremony like Alfons had. It could just be the three of us.
Me, you and Noah! Please, Brother!" Alphonse stated indignantly.
"We need to pay our respects to Dad too."

Edward
peered once more underneath his automail to stare into the
determined, tremulous eyes of his younger brother and he couldn't
help but smile a bit. "Alright then, we'll arrange a small
memorial service for Dad," the older brother stated tentatively.
"We can do it whenever you want, but I don't want Noah there,
okay?"

Alphonse
didn't bother to question his older brother on why he didn't want
Noah there, he just nodded understandingly, knowing Edward had his
reasons. "Well, if we're gonna do it then let's go do it tonight
while everyone is asleep. That way we won't be disturbed. We should
go back out to the place where Alfons is buried. I think Dad would
have loved to be put to rest in the country since he loved it so
much," the boy told him.

"You
want to make his grave next to Alfons's?" the older Elric
inquired slightly aporetical, sitting up in the bed now to watch
his brother with a quizzical expression on his handsome features.

Alphonse
shook his brown head. "Nah, not next to Alfons, but in that
general area. The country was Dad's favorite place considering that's
where we were born. He told me that the day he came back home,"
Alphonse replied fondly, eyes gazing up at the ceiling from the
memories of the day his dad had come home.

"I
see, that night you went off with him alone," Edward mumbled
more to himself than anything. "I had been so
angry
with him for just up and leaving us the way he did. Once I came to
understand his reasonings as to why he did it, my hatred for him just
evaporated. If it weren't for Dad finding me when I ended up here,
I'd most likely be dead by now."

"See?
And that's why we need to do something for Dad's memory,"
Alphonse stated, as though slightly pushing the matter. "Gracia
wouldn't mind if we took some flowers from her store and left her
some money on the counter, right?" the younger brother asked
curiously.

Damn...has
he had this all thought out since Noah told him? "Sure,
Al. I don't see why not. We'll just leave her a note and let her know
so she doesn't wonder why flowers are missing," Edward said,
nodding his head. He stood up from his bed and grabbed his brown coat
that was hanging over the back of his chair. "Since it's getting
cold out, I should probably wear a coat so I don't get sick, right?"

A
broad smile crossed Alphonse's face as he watched his brother and he
nodded his head. "That's right."

Ed
grabbed the keys that he'd tossed hastily onto the desk the moment
he'd entered his room. "I'm sure Hughes won't mind if we take
the truck back out there once more tonight. He'll understand once I
explain to him our reasons as to why," Edward stated. "C'mon.
If we're going to do this, then let's go."

Much
later that night, after Noah had gone to bed, the brothers secretly
left the apartment. They pulled up next to the trees out in the
country, a small distance from where Alfons had been laid to rest.
Gazing over at the stone, Edward felt his heart clench painfully in
his chest, and he averted his gaze. Alphonse had already jumped down
out of the truck, carrying an armful of white flowers and a wooden
cross he'd crafted himself for Hohenhiem. "I want to put his
grave under the tree if that's okay," Al told his brother,
gazing back over his shoulder. "Dad always loved sitting out
underneath that big oak tree when we were little boys. That's why put
that swing there, so he could be close to us and be in his favorite
place at the same time."

"Sure,
Al. Whatever you want," the older Elric told him, trying to
speak past the mournful lump that had suddenly decided to rise
unwillingly in his throat at his younger brother words. Hohenhiem had
put the swing there so he could be close to his boys. That certainly
did seem like his father. He could feel himself start to tremble
slightly. Edward cradled a bouquet of flowers in his right arm as he
headed for the spot Alphonse was standing in. It was underneath a
massive oak tree, the branches hanging low and the green leaves
rustling against one another. He hadn't changed out of his funeral
clothes and neither had his younger brother. At
least we're dressed for the occasion.
Edward had to hold back a bitter laugh as he made his way to his
brother and came to stop next to him. Alphonse had lowered himself
down and dug a small hole, placing the wooden cross firmly into the
freshly turned earth. He pushed back the rest of the dirt and patted
it around the bottom of the wood so the cross would stay unmoving
into the earth.

"Too
bad we didn't have the use of alchemy here, huh Brother?"
Alphonse told him, still working on getting the cross in place,
making sure it wouldn't come out of the ground. "We could have
just transmuted a stone."

"It's
alright, Al. This is what counts right?" the older brother told
him with a small smile on his face. "Dad would be happy to know
we're doing this for him."

Alphonse
stood up and brushed his dirt-covered hands off against one another.
"Yeah, this is what counts," he reiterated as he gazed down
at the cross, his flowers for his father once more gathered in his
arms. "So, brother...can I ask what Dad's last words were...you
know, before it happened?" the younger Elric inquired, his voice
wavering slightly with the onset of tears.

"He...,"
Edward began, not really wanting to reveal everything that Hohenhiem
had said about being a sinner. "He felt guilty for not being
able to stop Envy from hurting me. He said that the only way he could
atone for...for the things he'd done in his life in regards to the
Philosopher's Stone, was to give his life so he could...well...bring
us back together again. He also told me to give you his regards,"
the blond tried to explain to his younger brother without making it
sound any worse than it should be.

"Dad...I can't believe he's really gone,"
Alphonse murmured, trepidation sounding in his tone before he lowered
himself once more in front of the grave and placed the flowers on the
fresh lump of earth.

Edward
followed, lowering himself next to him on one knee as well and
placing his bouquet next to his brother's. He rested his elbow on his
knee and turned his head to look at Alphonse who had thin lines of
tears steadily streaking down his cheeks, and he felt a surge of
sympathy for the boy course through his trembling body. He placed a
gloved hand comfortingly on his younger brother's shoulder and
squeezed it gently, allowing the boy to cry and mourn the loss of
their father.

Edward
removed his hand from his brother's shoulder and reached out to the
cross, running his fingertips down the wooden symbol and felt his
heart break. It was almost as if he'd lost his father and his best
friend all over again. The images of Envy biting through his father's
body and all the blood that had spilled like a raging waterfall, crashing
down to the floor flashed through the older Elric's mind. He could no
longer fight the intense emotion that threatened to crack his being
and he lowered his head, allowing his golden bangs to shield his
crumpling face. Edward released a quivering breath. "I'm sorry
Dad...Alfons. I'm so sorry," he whispered tremulously.

"Brother?"
Alphonse said worriedly, gazing over at his older brother and wiping
at his silvery-brown eyes with the backs of his hands. Edward was now
on both of his knees, his head hanging in grief and hands planted
firmly on the ground and fingers grasping the soil. His teeth were
clenched tightly and visibly, and the corner of his mouth was
quivering. Silent pain was slamming him from every possible direction
like an avalanche of rock encompassing his heart. Alphonse saw a tear
sneak down the older Elric's cheek, hidden behind his golden curtain
of hair and fall from his chin, followed by another and the another.
"Oh, Ed," Alphonse lamented in a whisper as he placed an
arm comfortingly around his brother's quaking shoulders.

"I'm
sorry, Al," Edward spoke hoarsely, his voice cracking as he
allowed himself to be enveloped by his grief and a thin wail escaped
his lips.

The blond buried his face in his hands, and his body visibly shook
with grief. Alphonse knew that it would happen sooner or later, that
Edward would have to allow himself to mourn over the loss of their
father and his best friend. He couldn't keep himself composed and
strong forever, and so he did just the opposite, allowing himself to
completely lose control of the emotions he'd had in check. Edward
succumbed to the tears, crying for Alfons and Hohenhiem both. He
cried all the unshed tears for Alfons that he could have cried at the
funeral but didn't. He cried for all the time they spent together
lost, he cried for the way he'd treated the boy the night he'd left
for the factory when he'd discovered that the Thule Society had
planned on using his world for their uprising.

Edward cried for the cause of Alfons's death being his fault, or so
at least he'd had himself convinced it was, and he felt a painful
tightness surrounding his heart. He hadn't even be able to save his
father from Envy's wrath and he blamed himself for that too, despite
what Hohenhiem had said to him. He had wanted to get his father down
out of danger's way and keep him from being killed. He'd had Alfons
in this world and now he'd known where his father had been all that
time he'd gone missing. He'd been determined to have him back as
well, but that was lost to Hohenhiem's crimes of the past.

Edward
sobbed silently, brokenly into his hands, tears seeping through his
clamped fingers and falling onto the fresh soil, nourishing
Hohenhiem's symbolic grave. He didn't know how long he'd remained
there on his knees in front of the grave and Alphonse never once
questioned him or tried to move him. He'd just allowed his brother
this time to grieve, and time to mourn over what he could have saved.
It was almost like bitter irony slapping him harshly across his face.
After a while, his tears slowed and his weeping had calmed down to
hitched breath. He placed his hands firmly on the ground soaked from
his tears and stared at the cross.

In a way he wished that he'd had something of his father's to bury,
but at least they were able to do this much for him. It was the Elric
brothers' memorial for Hohenhiem. Something that would remain a
secret just between the two of them. Edward couldn't help but vaguely
wonder if he and his mother had been reunited upon his return to the
Gate and he couldn't hold back a small grin at the mental imagery of
his mother and father's reunion. He could picture her radiant smile
broadening on her beautiful face with emerald eyes sparkling lovingly
into Hohenhiem's golden ones. The blond stood up from the ground, his
hands hanging down at his sides in loose fists. The night wind was
rustling the tree branches overhead and he felt it rake through his
hair as if Hohenhiem's large hand was brushing back his son's bangs
like he'd done when he'd found Edward two years ago missing his limbs
once more. The young scientist closed his golden orbs and turned his
face towards the sky to gaze up into the star spangled blanket
stretching across the atmosphere.

"Brother?"
came Alphonse's uncertain tone from behind the older Elric. "Are
you okay?" He felt his younger brother's warm hand close over
his left bicep.

"Yeah,
Al. I'm just fine," Edward assured him, lowering his face to
incline his head and glance at his brother both with tear-bright eyes. He smiled sheepishly at
him and wiped the back of his hand across his face. "Sorry for that. I didn't mean to just..." he began
hesitantly but was cut off by a shake of his brother's head.

"Don't
be sorry for mourning your losses Brother, that's just stupid. It's
only human and we're only humans. Those were your words once,"
Al told him, pulling a face.

Edward
just chuckled a bit before turning towards his brother. "I was
thinking of a lot of things. You remember I told you that we can't
keep living like we're all that matter in the world?"

"Yeah,
I do remember that and I stand by what you said, Brother," Al
told him with an indignant nod of his head.

"Well,
Dad and Alfons were living proof. If we can help the world in any way
possible, then maybe we can help at least prevent other deaths like
the ones they had. That'd be one more life saved from the chaos and
apathy of the world, wouldn't it?" Edward told him, staring
seriously into his younger brother's eyes. "I truly believe that
Dad and Alfons would have wanted us to do this. Don't you agree?"

"I
most certainly do, Brother," the younger Elric told him, staring
down at his father's memorial. "Dad would want us to keep moving
onward, one step at a time."

"Dad
or Alfons wouldn't want me to just give up. I have to keep living for
them and accomplish the goals that they couldn't or goals that they
would have wanted to see from me. I...we
need to live for the people in this world, no matter how foreign or
strange it may seem, this place is home now. We have no choice but to
keep moving forward," the older Elric explained to his younger
brother, his hands placed firmly on Al's shoulders. "I thought
for a long time as I traveled this world searching for a way to find
you again, that I was unsure of myself, that it wouldn't be worth it
to move forward. I questioned it and for the longest time, and I just
didn't know but now I do Al. So, let's live for Dad and for Alfons
and do good in this world for their sakes and for the sake of
others."

Alphonse
gave a swift jerk of his head in agreement with Edward to which he
returned with a smile. Yes, the lives of Alfons Heiderich and the
Elric brothers' father, Hohenhiem, were lost, but he and Alphonse
were still living. They had many things left to accomplish in this
world. They would continue to move on and walk forward. The sun was
just beginning it's morning peak over the grassy hills and plains as
dawn neared ever closer.

"Ready
to head back then?" Edward asked, turning back towards his
brother.

"We
probably should," the bronze-haired boy replied.

"Yeah,
Noah will be up soon and knowing her, she'll probably worry if we're
not there," the blond added as he cast one last glance at the
small, wooden cross for his father. We'll
do this for you guys and for all the friends that we couldn't save.
We'll live our lives for you. And
so the brothers ascended up the hill. All that could be seen was
their backs as they left behind the sorrow and headed towards the
awaiting truck to go back home. It was the start of a new day, a new
life and adventure awaiting just beyond their reach.

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